Hawks Trade Savard

Canadiens Give Up Defenseman Chelios

Mike Keenan won a bigger victory Friday than he did in his first two years coaching the Blackhawks.

He showed beyond a doubt who the boss is by trading Denis Savard to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Chris Chelios.

Savard and Keenan were an odd couple, but no one expected owner Bill Wirtz to give Keenan approval to get rid of a flashy center who`s the team`s third-best point scorer of all time.

But less than a month after being named general manager in place of Bob Pulford, who moved glacially in big trades, Keenan once more displayed his ability to shake things up with his first deal. It`ll long be remembered as the biggest transaction in Hawk history.

Chelios is 28, a year younger than Savard. He had his best year in 1988-89, when he won the Norris Trophy as best defenseman in the National Hockey League. Fifty-eight of his 73 points were assists.

Savard hooked up the answering machine at his Wheaton home and tried to avoid the Chicago media Friday night. But he talked to the Montreal press on a conference call and give a hint of his troubled times with Keenan.

``Keenan would tell me something one day . . . that he loved me and wouldn`t trade me,`` he said. ``Then he`d tell me something that`s completely different the next day.

``Keenan told me a lot of things. This is a business move that will benefit both clubs.``

Keenan denied he moved Savard to rid himself of a player with whom he had several celebrated clashes, including an incident last April when he threw Savard out of the team hotel in Chicago during the playoffs.

The feud publicly began in 1988-89 when Savard tried leaving the ice after a particularly grueling practice but was stopped at the last minute by teammates Doug Wilson and Keith Brown.

``I didn`t have any personal vendetta or dislike for Savard. He wanted to win as badly as I did,`` Keenan said. ``He contributed a lot to this franchise as an electrifying player.``

Wirtz and Pulford were in town but didn`t even attend the press conference Friday night in the Bismarck Hotel to announce the trade. That was again a symbolic gesture that indicated Keenan is in control.

Wirtz had often indicated that the day would never come when the organization would turn its back on Savard, a player Wirtz felt put people in Stadium seats even when the Hawks weren`t a contender. He obviously had his mind changed by Keenan.

While Wirtz couldn`t be reached for comment, Keenan stood in for him as his spokesman by simply saying: ``He was in favor of it.``

Strangely enough, both Chelios and Savard return to hometowns in this exchange. Chelios played hockey for Mt. Carmel in the Catholic League, and Savard is from Montreal.

``I should be the happiest guy in the world, but I`m really very sad about leaving Montreal,`` Chelios said. ``But it was once my dream to play in Chicago.``

Savard said the same about Montreal. ``I always dreamed of playing there, and I know everyone is going to expect a lot. I think I can help them.``

Chelios explained that Canadiens General Manager Serge Savard told him he was pressured into the deal.

``He said people were on his back to make a move, and he hated to do it. Never thought Chicago would trade Savard . . . or Montreal trade me.``

Chelios suffered ligament damage to his left knee last February and didn`t return until the playoffs, when the Canadiens failed to survive a second-round series with Boston in the Adams Division.

In 53 games last season, Chelios had 9 goals and 22 assists, those 31 points far below Savard`s 80 points in 60 games.

``We fully investigated, and his knee is 100 percent,`` Keenan said. ``We never thought for a moment we`d be able to get a player of his caliber. The deal just developed in the last two weeks.

``Chelios is one of the top three or four defenseman in the NHL, and along with Doug Wilson he gives us two offensive threats and one really dynamic presence on the ice.``

Where does Keenan propose to replace Savard`s average of 100 points or more?

``We have depth at center throughout the organization,`` he replied.

``Everyone saw what Jeremy Roenick did last year, and he`s going to get better. Adam Creighton is, too.``

The Canadiens have wanted Savard almost since they passed him up in the 1980 draft, using the No. 1 overall pick to take center Doug Wickenheiser. The Hawks used the third choice overall to get Savard. Wickenheiser flopped dismally.

``This is the first time Savard was available in trade,`` Serge Savard said. ``We had to pay a big price, but our team needed a guy who`s a good offensive center.``

Hawks defenseman Bob Murray thinks that with time Savard may see this move as a good thing.

``If life was going to be miserable for him again next season as it had been the last two years (with Keenan), and there was every indication it would be, this may be good for Denis,`` Murray said.